Keshet Intl.’s ‘Stockholm’ Travels to Toronto Festival Slot

By Debra Kamin

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – “Stockholm,” a wry dramatic series that debuted to critical acclaim in Israel, premiered Friday at TIFF, marking the first time an Israeli original series has premiered at the festival.

The darkly comedic series, based on the eponymous book by Noa Yedlin, is the first Israeli program ever chosen to be part of the TIFF schedule. It will debut as part of the TIFF 2018 Primetime that spotlights series. (Other series bowing there include Julia Roberts’ new Amazon series, “Homecoming.”)

“Stockholm” follows the story of a leading contender for the Nobel Prize of Economics who is found dead in his bed of an apparent heart attack just five days before the winners are announced. His four closest friends, eager to cement his legacy as a Nobel Laureate, decide to keep him “alive” until the prize announcement.

The series, produced by Artza Prods. and distributed by Keshet Intl., broke ratings records in Israel. Its debut at TIFF comes just months after another KI original series, “When Heroes Fly,” earned best series at Cannes in the first Cannesseries Festival. Two other Israeli series, “Sleeping Bears” and “Autonomies,” have also earned raves on 2018’s festival circuit.

“We are proud to bring another outstanding Israeli series to the global market,” said Keshet International CEO Alon Shtruzman. “Stockholm,” he added, “is another critical milestone in cementing Israel’s reputation as one of the world’s leading suppliers of popular, quality original dramas and formats.”